Dorothy Thorpe's chubby crystal glass sparkles on "Mad Men"

YOUR HOMEANTIQUE OR JUNQUE

MID-CENTURY 'MAD': A crystal glass, created by artist and designer Dorothy C. Thorpe, would probably be worth anywhere from $10 to $25.

MID-CENTURY 'MAD': A crystal glass, created by artist and designer Dorothy C. Thorpe, would probably be worth anywhere from $10 to $25.

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MID-CENTURY 'MAD': A crystal glass, created by artist and designer Dorothy C. Thorpe, would probably be worth anywhere from $10 to $25.

MID-CENTURY 'MAD': A crystal glass, created by artist and designer Dorothy C. Thorpe, would probably be worth anywhere from $10 to $25.

Dorothy Thorpe's chubby crystal glass sparkles on "Mad Men"

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Q: The pictured crystal glass is from a set of eight that was given to me by my best friend. Each glass is about 3 inches tall and has a sterling silver band. Made by artist Dorothy Thorpe, all the pieces had silver foil labels with the letter “T.”

I want to pass along the glassware to my godson, and I would like to give him any history you can find.

A: You have a wonderful example of “Roly Poly” glassware. The chubby shape inspired the name. Dorothy C. Thorpe, well-known modernist artist and designer, created a complete table set of silver-banded glass that included dinnerware, punch bowls, stemware, tumblers and pitchers. Thorpe designed mid-20th century glassware and china during the Eames Era.

Born in 1901 in Salt Lake City, Thorpe graduated from Brigham Young University and University of Utah. During the Great Depression, she opened a studio in Glendale, Calif., and later one in Mexico. Early in her career, she noticed a wine bottle on a shelf. She cut it down and decorated it with raffia. It was seen by Clark Gable, who liked it and ordered a set.

Heisey Glass Co. produced some of her designs including “Hydrangea” stemware in 1989. Your glassware was made around 1950, and each would be worth anywhere from $10 to $25.

Address questions to Anne McCollam, P.O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column. Due to the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individual letters.